Prayer for a Blessing on the New Year

A quiet town at winter dawn, with a shopkeeper opening shutters and neighbors greeting one another near a stone bridge.
A new beginning opens before us, with good to seek and neighbors to remember.

O sacred and adorable Trinity, hear our prayers on behalf of our holy Father the Pope, our Bishops, our clergy, and for all that are in authority over us. Bless, we beseech Thee, during the coming year, the whole Catholic Church; convert heretics and unbelievers; soften the hearts of sinners so that they may return to Thy friendship; give prosperity to our country and peace among the nations of the world; pour down Thy blessings upon our friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and upon our enemies, if we have any; assist the poor and the sick; have pity on the souls of those whom this year has taken from us; and do Thou be merciful to those who during the coming year will be summoned before Thy judgment seat. May all our actions be preceded by Thy inspirations and carried on by Thy assistance, so that all our prayers and works, having been begun in Thee, may likewise be ended through Thee. Amen.

Further reading

This prayer ends by asking that our actions begin with God’s inspiration and continue with his help. Jacques Philippe’s In the School of the Holy Spirit explores attentiveness to the Spirit’s promptings, a fitting companion for approaching a new year with prayerful discernment.

In the School of the Holy Spirit by Jacques Philippe (paperback) on Amazon (paid link)